Archive for August, 2015

Reading a James A Michener novel returns the reader to a time of innocence, and provides an engrossing story. A time when writing a novel was more than flash and sex, when story and content were of prime importance. These are the feelings I came away with after reading Michener’s novel, Caribbean. The amount of research he puts into his novels is truly astounding. He uses these fact and weaves a compelling story around the backbone of history.

It’s been a long time since I read one of Michener’s works. My favorite, which I read in my youth, was The Source. This novel follows the excavation of a well in the Middle East, recording the civilizations and people who existed in the area of the well from the bottom-most layer to the present, the present at least at the time of the writing of this novel.

Caribbean, published in 1989, employs Michener’s standard method, using a vast amount of research to describe the civilizations and populations, the hopes and horrors of the people involved with the area. At the same time creating a story and characters that will hold your interest and provide knowledge of the area.

Returning to the first line of this article. I must say that I am guilty of using more profanity in a short story than Michener uses in a 600+ page novel. How times have change and continue to do so, rapidly.

If you haven’t read any of Michener’s works, give yourself and treat and do so.

Tis the season of politics, starting early and earlier with each election.

Just a short comment. Your vote does count, but you have no control over who you will eventually be voting for. That fabled ‘1%’ will make that decision for you and determine you options.

I read in the Washington Post on 8/1/15, that more than 50 individuals and entities (?) have given at least one million dollars apiece to super PACs, backing specific candidates. Nearly half given to a group aligned with Jeb Bush.

So your vote counts, but what filters down to ‘our level’ is predetermined by money.